I sometimes describe Balboa Park as the Central Park of San Diego to people unfamiliar with America's Finest City. But the truth is, Balboa Park is a helluva lot better. That's right, New Yorkers. I said it!

“Dog Socializing” is a major buzzword with dog trainers, dog walkers, and dog owners. We all want basically the same thing: polite, calm, dogs that we can walk and take to dog parks and dog friendly beaches without fear of having to leave in shame after a high speed chase, flip flops and poo bags flying, screaming “PRECIOUS!! NO, PRECIOUS!!” ...Trust me on that one.

Imagine this: Your loved one wakes up on Christmas morning with an extra bounce in your step. They throw off the covers and run down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of the tree – and what’s this? The most omigod-so-adorable fluffy little furball anyone has ever seen! A puppy?!? Best. Gift EVARRRRR! You instantly win parent/spouse/sibling of the year, right?
WRONG!

Being a San Diego dog walker or dog runner is pretty much the best job in the world. The San Diego weather is 75 and sunny most of the time, so it's always lovely to take a stroll. Plus, our our dog walkers and runners are constantly moving – working up a sweat and burning those calories (which makes it much easier to justify drinking so much). At the same time, we are constantly exploring our favorite San Diego neighborhoods on foot with our dog pack by our side. We definitely notice when a new bar or restaurant pops up, and we especially appreciate when there's a bowl of water outside for our pack. We visit these dog friendly bars in San Diego during our routes, and of course we circle back with our own dogs when we're off the clock. Because what’s better than a cold glass at your lips and a cold nose on your leg? Nothing, that’s what.

We can all agree that Halloween is pretty much the best holiday, and dogs are pretty much the best animal. Right? Right. Whether it’s low-key or super elaborate, how can you go wrong with a dressed-up dog? If you’re still looking for costume ideas, we’ve rounded up our top 5 favorite Halloween costumes for dogs this year. Some are low-key, some are pretty elaborate, but here are some cheap and easy DIY costumes your dog will love:

The 2014 Winter Olympics was held in Sochi this month, amidst social and political controversy, lukewarm interest, and even lukewarm-er weather, requiring a LOT of fake snow to be blown during the unusually balmy weather.
While I sincerely admire anyone who can be the best in the world at their particular sport, I didn’t really plan on watching the games, and I still couldn’t name you a single gold medalist this year. Russia’s anti-gay policies, among other human rights abuses, didn’t help to romanticize the locale. But when news broke a couple weeks before the opening ceremony that the local government had contracted with a local pest-control company to round up and kill as many stray dogs as possible, my ears really perked up.